FAKE Drabbles and Ficlets
by DeeRyoFan
Summary: Some drabbles and ficlets I wrote in correspondence to events at the Fake Second Chance RPG and Grace Musica's drabbles.
1. The driver, the Kid & the second Dad

Spoilers: for past events that took place at **fake 2nd chance**-RPG  
Characters/Pairings: Drake, Bikky, Dee, Ryo, Ted gets mentioned, too  
Disclaimer: Not mine, all Sanami Matoh's respectively the **fake 2nd chance**-RPG's:)

A/N: I wrote this little drabble back in October, referring to events at the **fake 2nd chance**-RPG on LJ. Ryo had been shot and while Dee was at the hospital waiting for news, Drake went to pick up Bikky at Ryo's place. So, this is told from Drake's point of view – his thoughts while driving Bikky to the hospital and so on. Drake doesn't know yet that Dee and Ryo are a couple.

I'm not a native speaker, so please bear with me and my grammar!

**The Driver, the Kid and the second Dad **

by DeeRyoFan

Drake's Point of View

I still can't believe it. Someone shot Ryo today. He's still in surgery right now and we're all praying and waiting for good news.

When Dee called to tell me about it and asked me to pick up Ryo's kid, I don't know, it all felt so surreal (and still does). Of course, I agreed to pick Bikky up, but, damn, did my stomach start cramping when I turned the corner into Ryo's street! The kiddo was standing there in the rain, waiting for me, and it was really weird how small and lost he looked right there and then. Usually the little guy has quite a big ego (reminds me of a certain blackhaired friend and colleague of mine) and it really makes up for his shortness - if someone had asked me before what I thought how tall or how old Bikky was, I probably would have said 5'4 or something and that he's 15 or 16 years old. But in fact he's only 13 (I think) and apparently hasn't quite hit his growth spurt yet - he can't be much taller than 5'0. Still pretty small. Still just a child, really...

So, I arrived at Ryo's house, pulled over, stopped and Bikky climbed into my car. All he said when I greeted him with what I hoped was a neutral "Hey, Biks." was a quiet "Hi." - his voice sounded pretty small and his chin was quivering ever so slightly. I was really afraid he'd start crying or asking me things or something. I mean, what would I have been supposed to tell him, if he'd asked me, whether Ryo was going to be alright? What would I have been supposed to do if he had started crying right there and then?

Okay, so I can handle kids alright. Ted and I have visited the orphanage a few times with Dee around christmas to help him with carrying all the food he brings there around that time of the year and to help him putting up the huge tree they always have there and I got along with the kids just fine, but this... this was a completely different situation.

Thankfully, Bikky didn't say a single word during the drive. He just sat there, rain soaked and stared out of the window. He was a little pale, too, I think. It's hard to tell with him because he's pretty dark-skinned, a bit on the cafe au lait-side so to say, and I don't know if he can ever really look pale.

Anyways. We arrived at the hospital, and fortunately I found a parking spot right in front of the entrance. Bikky had looked ready to jump out of the car in full drive during the whole ride and I guess, he could barely hold himself back when he saw the hospital building, so I was glad that we didn't have to search for a parking space. We went inside, and I almost grabbed his hand, so small and lost did he look, but fortunately I kept myself in check. Because, when I laid my hand on his shoulder to guide him through the corridors, he shrugged it off - well, not in a rude gesture or anything, he just walked a bit faster and my hand slipped from his jacket - so I don't want to know what he would have done if I had taken his hand in mine. Probably would have kicked me in the gut, like he always does with Dee.

However, the kid's cool, tough facade crumbled down fairly quickly as soon as he spotted Dee standing in the hallway, talking to a nurse. I must admit that I have never seen Dee looking so shaken up, so pale, so... sick. Sick with worry, I guess. As soon as Bikky saw Dee, he dashed towards him, his wet sneakers making a squeaking sound on the linoleum floor, and practically threw himself at Dee, who turned just in time to catch the kid in his open arms. Bikky looked even smaller then, because Dee is pretty tall and the boy's head didn't even reach his stomach.

It was weird, to see Dee holding Biks like that, holding him close with Bikky's face buried in Dee's shirt - "weird" because until then I only had seen those two bickering and wrestling with each other. And now, I don't know, they didn't look like two kids, one big and one small, anymore. They looked like, like one adult and one child, actually. Kinda honest, you know, all pretenses simply gone. And, yes, in a way they looked like father and son. It was really odd - because as unusual as it looked on first sight, it looked pretty right to me after a short moment of watching them.

Weird. I mean, I know Ryo and Dee are pretty close. Shit, they've been a team for about three years now, but somehow it feels as if they had been partners all their life. But I hadn't known that Dee and the kid were so close, too. Almost felt like Dee was like the other dad or something or at least a part of Ryo and Bikky's little family. Weird yet good to see in a way. We all know Dee is a sucker for kids. He claims to hate them, but if you have ever gone visiting the kids at the orphanage with him, you know it's just some sort of facade he puts up. He loves kids and would do everything for them. Despite the circumstances, I'm kinda happy for Bikky right now, because the moment I saw Dee embracing Bikky and holding him like that, I knew, if it came to the pinch, the little guy would still have someone to look after him. Bikky would always still have Dee.


	2. Insomnia

Spoilers: for past events at the **fake2ndchance**-RPG on LJ  
Characters: Diana, Dee (active parts), Berkeley, Ryo and Bikky and some OCs get mentioned (Berks quite a lot)  
Disclaimer: Not mine, all Sanami Matoh's respectively the **fake2ndchance**-RPG's:)  
Beta: **firebreeze**. Thanks for the wonderful job, sweetie!

Dedicated to: **firebreeze** and Diana's player on the RPG. :)

A/N: Firebreeze aka Harini sent this plot bunny/request/challenge/plea my way to write a drabble from Diana's POV – like "The Driver, the Kid and the second Dad" also referring to the events that happened on the FakeSecondChance-RPG on LJ back in October 2005.

Summary: Ryo had been shot and everyone was very worried over him for a while, especially Dee of course. Except for Diana, Mother and Bikky no one knows that Dee and Ryo are a couple. Diana's feelings for Berkeley Rose finally get to her after witnessing a tender moment between Dee and his wounded Ryo.

**Insomnia **

by DeeRyoFan

Diana's Point of View

It's past 2 a.m. in the morning, and here I am wide awake in my huge and – except for my own sexy self – empty bed. I visited Ryo at the hospital earlier today and upon entering his room caught Dee and him kissing. Well, not a real kiss, more like how Eskimos do: softly rubbing their noses against each other. I guess there are advantages in being as tall as Dee is. He could reach Ryo's face with his own and still remain sitting on that stool next to Ryo's bed, even with Ryo being on his back and propped up on a pile of pillows.

The "kissing" in itself is not exactly what has me so worked up that I can't sleep now – it was the look both of them had when Dee pulled away, opened his eyes, and smiled at Ryo. The elation, the happiness, the love on both their faces as they gazed at each other: that's what caught me off-guard and made a band tighten around something deep within my chest. It was like someone had lit up a warm, gentle glowing light within them. It was too sweet to describe it with words now and do it justice. All I can say is, that in that moment they were the most beautiful thing I have ever seen in my entire life, it was almost something sacred I had been blessed to witness.

And now I can't sleep because this suffocating aching inside of me won't go away. I usually don't cry. I think it doesn't become me; I'm stronger than that. But I know that I will break down before this night is over. I don't think I'll get relief any other way tonight.

I know I want exactly what Dee and Ryo have. I want to have someone to look at me like that: I want to make someone as happy as that. And I also know exactly whom I want that someone to be. I have never lied to myself about my feelings for Berkeley Rose. Unfortunately, I also know that he doesn't feel the same for me.

I think I've been in love with Berks right from the first time he made me laugh. He's just like that. He seems to be serious and kind of stern, but in all truth, he is very witty, even can be goofy on occasion, and gentle – strong, yes, but gentle. And handsome. And intelligent. And cultured. And caring. And generous. And sexy. And so, so good in bed, God, he actually made me miaow once, he's that good. And did I mention handsome? I can't help it. I could go on endlessly about everything he is. But there are also some things that he isn't, and recently those things have started to outweigh everything else – at least for me. Not by quantity, but by quality.

The main and most important thing he isn't: in love with me.

I know he loves me; I'm probably his best friend. And we have sex, great sex and it doesn't harm our friendship the least bit. We've both always known what we were doing, we still do. It's not like he's a player who took advantage of me, the innocent country chick – far from it, we're both 'big city-folks' who probably have a more realistic approach to things like love and sex. We both like to have fun, and we've always known what to expect from each other: friends first, 'lovers' second. Nothing more, nothing less. I never really had a big problem with that despite my feelings for him. Until now.

I told him once that I loved him. I was a bit drunk that night; we had just gotten done having a round of wild, abandoned sex on my dinner table. It's been years ago. I don't think he took that declaration of my innermost feelings seriously. How could he? Even after that nothing changed in my attitude towards him. I never say anything -- well, maybe a sly remark here and there but nothing serious -- when he tells me about his latest conquests, be they man or woman. I never say anything when he starts rhapsodizing over Ryo. How strong Ryo is. How cultured and well-mannered Ryo is. How intelligent Ryo is. How gorgeous Ryo is. How _everything_ Ryo is. The worst thing is: it's all true. I know Ryo. He's everything anyone could ever want in a man, in a partner. And Dee is one hell of a lucky man to have him. That's what I thought from the moment that Ryo told me he and Dee had finally sorted everything out: lucky Dee!

But after today, after seeing them like that, I also think: lucky Ryo. Dee reminds me of Berkeley in many ways. He may not be as cultured or eloquent as Berkeley, but Dee is witty, gentle, handsome, intelligent, caring, generous and sexy, too. And if that one kiss we shared was any indication of his prowess in bed, I have no doubt in my mind that Ryo is a very, very happy man indeed. Seeing Dee with Ryo like that today made me see things in Dee that I always wished to see in Berkeley, too: devotion, commitment, fidelity, and most of all boundless love. If Berkeley were to read this, he would doubtlessly point out to me that he has all of that, but that he has it for Ryo. That he loves Ryo.

I know he would be wrong. He's awfully smitten with Ryo, yes. He would like nothing more than to snatch him away from Dee and claim him as his. But after that? I know Berkeley. As soon as Ryo was his, he'd start noticing every little flaw Ryo might have. He would find Ryo's tenderheartedness for children and other people in need bothersome; he'd want Ryo's love all to himself and Ryo's caring nature would drive him nuts after awhile. He would also come to regard Bikky as a nuisance.

It's not the first time I have seen Berkeley being in love, after all.

And it has always been like this. Ryo wouldn't be any different, I'm sure. Berkeley is a hunter by nature, and he's used to getting whatever he wants. Always. Even I can't say no to him. So, Ryo is a challenge and it bothers Berkeley that he can't win him over, that he can't conquer him. But he doesn't really love Ryo. Not like Dee does.

All of this wouldn't be an issue, if it didn't hurt so much to see Berks yearning like that for someone else. Of course, I wouldn't want to be just another conquest to him, someone who'd get discarded after a few months of playing. Still, I can't help but wish that I was the one Berkeley was head over heels with. Maybe then I'd have a chance to show him what I have to offer him. Maybe then, he'd never want to let me go ever again.

Recently I'd started to feel like what I had to offer might not be good enough for Berkeley; that maybe I wasn't strong enough, or intelligent enough, or even beautiful enough. Funny, then, that it's Dee of all people now who's made me think that maybe it's just the other way around: maybe Berkeley isn't good enough for _me_.

When I visited Ryo, he became sleepy rather quickly after some quiet talking. Dee had left the room a few minutes prior, to have a smoke, grab a coffee, make some phone calls, et cetera. So, when I left Ryo to his well-deserved rest and after instructing the uniform outside his room to not let anyone get past that door even if his own life depended on it, I went to find Dee to say my goodbyes. He was on the small balcony outside the waiting room and had just ended a call and lit up a cigarette. He offered me one, (God only knows why; he knows I don't smoke, but I guess I must have looked as if I needed one), I accepted and let him light it up for me. I got a good look at his hands that way - and with a pang realized that even like this, he reminded me of Berkeley. They both have big hands, with thick veins visible on the back, but perfectly-shaped, trimmed nails. Strong and undeniably sexy hands: hands that any sane woman would want touching her all over. Again I had to swallow down a lump in my throat and felt incredibly silly for getting so worked up by a small thing like that. I'm usually not that easily unsettled.

Unfortunately, Dee must have noticed that I was somewhat preoccupied.

"Are you alright?" He asked, looking at me with those piercing green-grey eyes of his. 

"Of course, I look alright, don't I?" I answered, smiling cheekily up at him, taking a deep drag of my cigarette. He just smiled and shook his head in mock bemusement.

"Ryo looks a lot better now." I told him, admittedly to change the subject and avert his attention to something, or rather some_one_ else. Ryo was always a good bet for that with Dee.

"Yeah, thank God," he replied, his eyes automatically edging to the right, where he could see the row of windows, one of them belonging to Ryo's room.

There was a brief moment of comfortable silence, with two people simply sharing a smoke.

"I meant to thank you for getting Rose off my back on Monday. He was driving me nuts." Dee said around his cigarette after a while.

Upon hearing that name I could literally feel my face fall. I composed myself as fast as I could, but it must've been too slow for Dee. Even as tired and worn out as the man was, he was still perceptive as ever – like one of those high tech motion detectors we use at the FBI-archive. Annoying, really; he's too damn good of a detective to not notice.

"Hey, no problem. I thought you could use a quiet moment or two to yourself – and your family." I told him quickly, smiling inwardly at that completely love-struck expression that flickered across his features upon hearing me speak of Ryo and Bikky as _his_ family.

He nodded and kept staring at me, while smoking his cigarette.

"Does he know?" He asked me after a while, stubbing out his cigarette on the balcony's wet railing. I had a pretty good idea what he meant, but I wasn't sure if I really wanted to truthfully answer that question.

"Does who know what?" I replied instead, feigning indifference, avoiding eye contact.

"Rose. Does he know how you feel about him?" He asked, and surprisingly he sounded genuinely interested, concerned even.

I shrugged, taking a final drag of my cigarette.

"I guess not."

"You never told him?"

"I did, but he probably didn't take me very seriously."

"And why is that?"

"I was a little drunk." I smiled sheepishly up at him. And he almost laughed at me.

"Ah. Well, I think he knows."

"Oh. What makes you say that?"

"More a hunch than anything else, really. I think he knows but wants to ignore it."

"And that's supposed to make me feel better?"

"No, no! Sorry, I didn't mean it like that, honestly."

Once more we fell into silence. I looked at him, how he stared off into space for a minute, seemingly thinking about something. And at that precise moment I wondered whether Dee might not have answers to the some of the questions that had been nagging me for quite some time. I mean, he and Berkeley _were_ alike in many ways. So maybe he could tell me why Berkeley didn't return my feelings.

Taking a deep breath, I squared my shoulders, looked up at him until his gaze caught mine and asked: "Dee, at the risk of sounding silly here, may I ask you something?"

"Fire away."

"Do you think I have a chance at all?"

"You mean with Rose?"

"Yes."

"You mean having a chance for a serious, committed relationship with him? Or just getting laid?" He asked, leaning back against the wet railing, not caring that his blue jeans were getting soaked in a very odd spot.

"Uh, relationship. We have... I mean, we..." I stumbled over my own words (embarrassing). But that's Dee for you: frank and forward and throwing you off-track when you least expect it.

"Ah. I see. Friends with benefits, huh?" He winked at me, wolfish grin perfectly in place.

"You could say that, yes."

"Well, actually I do think you have a chance. I mean, you're sexy, intelligent. You have a gun. I always say: Never underestimate the appeal of an armed woman!" Here he chuckled at his own silly joke and I just had to laugh about his goofiness. "But, seriously, of course you have a chance. Hell, what guy in his right mind wouldn't want a woman like you at his side - except maybe a wimp who'd be afraid you could break his neck during a tumble in the sheets or eat him afterwards or something?"

I glared at him for that, but couldn't keep it up, because he had that funny sparkle in his eyes. (I'm sure he uses that a lot when he wants Ryo to forgive him for his misdeeds.)

"Well, for starters, there's you, that guy I met at the Guggenheim a month ago, not to mention my high school sweetheart David, oh, and Phil, whom I met at college..." I started listing off the many men who'd gotten (or would have gotten) me into their beds without letting me into their hearts (not that I seriously had been interested in any of them).

"Okay, okay, okay!" He held up his hands to halt the stream of names, shaking his head again. "Point taken, but you know what I mean. I'm just wondering... you know... Well. May I ask something in return?"

"Okay. But remember I'm a lady!" I retorted, mock-wagging my finger at him. He smiled.

"But of course, ma'am. So, here goes: do you still sleep with others apart from our dear commish?"

"Now, now. That's quite a personal question, detective." I raised an eyebrow at him. Where was he heading with this?

"Well, yeah, but you know... well, I know people say that Rose and I are very alike. And I still say all of you must have lost your minds, even just remotely thinking of comparing my irresistible self to that sly old dog, but, okay. So, let's say we're alike. You know, if I was him, and I knew that you were occasionally taking others to bed, well, I wouldn't feel very happy about it, to say the least."

"Oh… okay. So, let's say I do that. Let's say I sleep with other men. So does Berkeley. Literally. And he beds other women, too, so where's the difference?"

"Well, you said yourself that you never really told Berkeley how you feel. Knowing you, I bet you even make jokes about him seeing others, even though it makes you feel like shit. So he has no reason to believe that you're interested in a committed relationship – with him, or with anyone else for that matter, especially when you sleep with other guys. So, why should he risk falling in love with you, thinking that he'd get turned down by you for the sake of your freedom? Remember, you're some years younger than he is, too. So, does that make any sense?"

"Sadly enough, it does. And you're probably right."

"That shouldn't come as a surprise to you. I'm always right." He winked at me once again, making _me_ shake my head in mock bemusement.

"You're impossible." I told him and poked him in his chest.

"Me? Never." He grinned.

"Always."

"Sometimes."

"Most of the times."

"Quite often, but not often enough to make it a foul character trait."

"Deal."

We both had to laugh at our silliness.

"So, your advice would be to quit playing around?" I asked, sounding like a schoolgirl even in my own ears and not caring one bit at that moment.

"Yeah. I don't know if I had fought and waited for Ryo the way I did if he had taken others to bed despite me being there for him, too. And I don't think he would've ever given me a chance if I had bedded anyone else. First you should tell Rose how you feel, and show him that you're sincere, that you don't want anyone else anymore. And if he's as intelligent as he wants us all to believe, well, he'll haul you to that church quicker than you can say Speedy Gonzalez. If he won't, well, then he's just an idiot who doesn't deserve better. His loss. Not yours – never yours."

After that, we talked a few minutes more until I noticed that he started to get a bit restless. I guessed he wanted to get back to Ryo, not trusting the uniform to keep his baby safe from any potential harm. So I let him off the hook.

And now here I am, wide awake at... 3:14 a.m., wondering if I should really do what Dee suggested. I don't mean quitting seeing other men, but telling Berks how I feel. Something's telling me that I'm not going to hear the answer I want, if I do tell him that I love him and want to be with him for the rest of my life.

Oh, and here come the tears...


	3. Making up

Read **Switching** **Sides** by **Grace Musica** before reading this! (It's in her first collection of FAKE-drabbles, chapter 26)

Ever wondered what exactly happened in-between Ryo's following Dee and the creaking of the mattress springs? Well... :) This little story could be what happened...

Characters/Pairings: Dee/Ryo, Bikky, Carol (mentioned)  
Warnings: Mild language!  
Spoilers: For Gracie's story "Switching Sides" probably.  
Disclaimer: Not mine. All Sanami Matoh's sigh  
Notes: Dedicated to Grace Musica, who also betaed this story. Thanks, hon. And I hope you like it!

* * *

**Making up**  
a little story by DeeRyoFan

"Dee!" Ryo shouted, running after his partner who had just stormed out of the apartement after a particularly nasty argument - the upteenth fight they had have in the last two months.

Ryo caught up with the other detective as his lover sat down on one of the steps to put his shoes on, the dark-haired man's jerky movements indication enough of how upset he truly was.

When Ryo reached out to his partner's shoulder, his hand got shrugged off and with a burning look thrown at him, Dee stood and proceeded his descent down the stairs.

"Dee, please, wait! Where are you going?" Ryo cried, following Dee and grabbing the man's wrist to stop him.

This time Dee didn't pull away, even turned around to face his lover, but the grim look upon his face made Ryo let go off Dee's hand anyway.

"Why? Maybe I'm going to the church to pray for forgiveness for being a _possessive jerk_. Then again, maybe I'll just go down to the pub at the corner of the street and get completely plastered at 5 p.m. on a Sunday afternoon. What's it to you - I thought you don't care?"

"Dee."

"What the fuck, Ryo, what's with you going berserk on me for shit like that lately? God, I know we're stressed and all, but dammit, Ryo, I'm not your fucking punching bag. Not like that. You made me feel lower than the dirt beneath your shoes right then!"

"Dee..."

Dee heaved a sigh, and Ryo could literally see his lover's anger fading away, leaving only raw hurt in its stead.

"Look, Ryo. I didn't mean to make you feel like you need to get my approval when you plan to do stuff that doesn't involve me as your partner in work or in life or whatever."

"I know."

"It's just... we've been so swamped with cases these past few months. We hardly get to spend any quality time together anymore as it is. And even on the rare occasion we do, we're both too tired and drained to do anything useful - or we're so testy due to all that being stressed out we end up fighting over insignificant shit."

"I know."

"I mean, God, when was the last time we made love that wasn't a short _okay-let's-get-it-done-and-over-with-to-relieve-some-tension_ kind of affair right before the morning shower and a rushed cup of coffee? Three weeks ago, or four? And it's not even the lack of bed play. I can live with that, Ryo. At least for a time. But when was the last time we had a real family dinner together - you, Biks, Princess and me? When was the last time we got to go to the park for a picnic or took the kids out to the movies or something? Or had a quiet evening at home, just you and me, with a nice bottle of wine, a DVD and including the use of lots of massage oil?"

"I know."

"I just want to spend some time with you, Ryo, dammit. And that's why it'd be nice to have you talking about your new assignments with me first before making decisions like that. Just so that we can see if we can't find a way to work my schedule around yours or vice versa. But this _I'll do it my way, so deal with it_-attitude is just... uuber crappy."

"I know, Dee, I know. May I say something now, please?" Ryo asked calmy, taking a step closer to Dee.

The younger man nodded, loudly letting out a breath after his little rant.

Ryo looked up at Dee's face, not really sure how to say what he wanted to say, because, frankly, there wasn't much he _could_ say - and so after a short moment of silence, he simply threw his arms around the taller man and pulled him into a tight hug.

"I'm sorry. I'm really sorry." Ryo apologized, his voice small and filled with genuine remorse.

Ryo's heart sank, when he realized that Dee returned the hug only half-heartedly - instead of wrapping his arm around Ryo's waist as he usually would, he simply laid his hands on the smaller man's hips - whether to pull Ryo closer or to push him away, Ryo couldn't be sure. He must have hurt his lover more than he had thought.

Pulling back somewhat, Ryo locked eyes with his partner.

"I don't know what got into me," he explained, softly rubbing Dee's upper arms simultanously. "I guess, I'm just frustrated and stressed and... oh damn, I just don't know what got into me. I'm really sorry, Tigger. I didn't mean to hurt you. I didn't mean to make you feel like I don't care about what you do. Of course I do care. And you are right, I should have discussed this with you first. Especially since it's not for my own personal enjoyment that I'll be doing that stuff, after all."

"It'd be nice if you'd tell me about things like that before making a decision in any case, own personal enjoyment or not. I know it's sorta silly, since it's more like a principle-thing than anything else - hell, like I ever could seriously do anything about it even if I didn't want you do to something - but I can't help feeling left out because you didn't come to me first. I mean, it wouldn't really be a big deal if it was only one evening per week, but, Jesus, three? I mean, what's next? You decide to get transferred to Boston and Mr. Zero gets to know you're moving away a week before me?"(1)

"Dee, please, don't be like that. I understand now, really. And I'm sorry, honestly."

"Just promise me it won't happen again."

"I promise. Now, please come back to the apartement." Ryo took a step backwards, holding Dee's right hand in his left, waiting.

But again Dee hesitated. He looked down at their joined hands than back up again to once more lock eyes with his lover.

"I'm sorry, Ryo, but I... I just... I really could need some time to myself to cool down, okay, baby?"

Ryo felt his heart sink even further. Dee had never declined such a peace offering. Thinking about it a moment, Ryo realized that maybe he had never declined, because Ryo hardly ever made any when they fought. Usually it was Dee to make the first step after an argument.

"Dee..." Ryo tried, not quite able to keep a slightly anxious tremor out of his voice.

"Please, Ryo," Dee interrupted, before Ryo could say more, knowing full well, that he'd never be able to stand his ground if Ryo asked him once more to go back to his apartement with him. He had never been good at saying no to the man he loved. He could see that Ryo was worried about them, that his partner was afraid he had not forgiven him yet. He squeezed Ryo's hand reassuringly.

"Don't worry, baby, we are okay. I'm just..." Here he made a helpless gesture with his free hand, searching for the right word.

Ryo knew what Dee wanted to say anyway and decided to spare his lover the struggle.

"O-okay. But you're going to be back again for dinner... or ... or at least for the night, right?" He asked, his dark eyes conveying his emotions better than words could have ever done. He wanted, no, he _needed_ Dee back in his arms tonight, needed the reassurance that everything was alright again, that he was truly forgiven. And he allowed Dee to see that in his coal-black depths.

"I don't know if I'll make it back for dinner, so don't wait up for me. But later... maybe I stop by the videostore, see if I can't find a nice flick for Bikky and us to watch later tonight. How's that sound?" Dee's voice was gentle now, soothing, for he knew that this was not the answer Ryo had hoped to hear. It couldn't be helped though. He needed some time to himself, just to center himself again and lick his wounds caused by the harsh sting of Ryo's earlier words during their fight.

"... Sounds good to me," Ryo answered, reluctantly. He wished Dee would have agreed to have dinner with him, but he didn't try to persuade him to do it. He knew it wouldn't do either of them any good.

"Okay." Dee said simply, his face and eyes friendly yet still guarded.

"Okay." Ryo replied quietly.

"Later then." Dee continued, his words creating an inner distance he needed to be able to leave now.

"Yes, later." Ryo repeated, fighting the urge to tighten his grip on Dee's hand.

"Okay." With that Dee nodded and gently pulled free from Ryo's grasp.

He would have bent down for a kiss, but then one of Ryo's neighbours chose exactly that second to come walking down the stairs and the moment was gone. So Dee simply gifted Ryo with a small gentle smile and left.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The following four and a half hours were pure agony for Ryo.

Shortly after dinner, that he and Bikky had shared in unusual silence, both painfully aware of the empty chair that most of the time was occupied by a certain vibrant dark-haired being, Dee sent him a text message on his cell phone - informing him that he had ended up at the orphanage and would stay there for a while because Mother needed assistance with installing her newly acquired computer.

So Bikky went down to the videostore to rent a movie - that Ryo was unable to concentrate on for the first half and bored to death by for the second (because he had missed the first half and therefore didn't have a clue what the heck was going on).

The credits had barely began to scroll up the screen when Ryo was already up off the couch and back in the kitchen to clean up God only knew what - for there was hardly one immaculate spot in the whole apartement (except for Bikky's room obviously).

When he heard someone enter the kitchen behind him, Ryo turned to see Bikky standing in the door. The tall teenager was leaning against the door's frame, his arms crossed over his chest, and shaking his head over his guardian's displacement activity.

"Really, Ryo. Scrubbing off the wood of the countertop won't make him come back any quicker," the dark-skinned blond-haired boy stated, his tone that of an adult talking to a dense child.

"Ha ha ha." Ryo replied, throwing the wet rag in the sink, and heaved a sigh.

"I'm hitting the sack," Bikky informed him, pushing away from the door. "You guys on early shift tomorrow or late?"

"Late."

"Okay, I'll let you sleep in then." The teen declared, putting one of the chairs deeper under the kitchen table.

"Thanks, _Dad_," Ryo answered and grinned as Bikky rolled his blue eyes at him in mock huffiness.

"Night, Ryo," he said, and still shaking his head left the room, not waiting for his foster father's reply.

Ryo heaved another sigh and looked around the room, searching for something else he could keep himself occupied with while waiting for his lover's return.

He wrung out the rag in the basin and put it over the heater under the kitchen window to let it dry. Again he let his eyes sweep across the shelves and countertops.

He fidgeted with the mugs next to the coffee maker for a while, arranging them in one symmetric row, then went to the fridge and opened the door to stare at the cooling device's contents.

"He's not in the fridge, you idiot, what are you thinking?" The auburn haired detective muttered under his breath to himself, shaking his head, when he realized what he was doing.

After closing the door with a soft thud, he almost jumped straight out of his skin when suddenly two strong arms snaked around his middlesection from behind and a pair of warm, soft lips pressed against that oh so sensitive spot right behind his left ear. The familiar scent of Dee's cologne made Ryo go weak in the knees and even after all these years, the feeling of his lover's tall and strong body pressing against him never ceased to make Ryo's heart do flip-flops within his chest.

Dee barely had time to turn Ryo around in his embrace before his mouth was attacked by his lover's - no more words needed for neither of them after they had talked it all through in the afternoon.

On the way to the bedroom they bumped into several pieces of furniture, almost tripped over a rug in the hall, and barely managed to hold back enough to not rip their clothes off of each other before they reached the bedroom. Both detectives subconsciously registered that come next morning they'd find a lot of interesting new bruises on their respective bodies. But right then they couldn't have cared less.

Nor did they care that the steady, rhythmic creaking of mattress springs that their love-making caused surely could be heard in their foster son's room down the hall. They hadn't endowed the boy with a new radio complete with cordless headphones for no reason after all...

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(1) If you have ever seen the movie "When Harry met Sally" you know what Dee is referring to here :gg: - if you haven't, duh, go and rent the movie, it's great:) 


	4. Of Christmas Trees and Eggnog

Hey folks, another drabble – I wrote around Christmas, that was inspired by a post from JJ on the Fake Second Chance-RPG. I hope you like it. :)

Characters/Pairings: Drake, JJ, Dee, Ryo, Ted (mentioned)

Warnings: Mild language?

Spoilers: Not that I am aware of...

Disclaimer: Not mine. All Sanami Matoh's and/or the RPG's. Except for the plotbunny. My preciousssss. Hehe.

Notes: Dedicated to JJ's and Drake's players! ;) Thanks to Grace Musica for proof-reading this ficlet. Thanks, hon:) All remaining mistakes are mine, if you find any, feel free to point them out to me! Thankies. :)

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**Of Christmas Trees and Eggnog**

a christmasy ficlet by DeeRyoFan

JJ and Drake, bundled up against the cold, waited for their turn at the Christmas Tree stand on the corner one block down from the street where JJ lived. The two men were lucky since it did not rain nor snow on that cloudy Sunday in New York City. It was already cold enough though for JJ to have an excuse to wear his fancy winter attire - a black Ralph Lauren coat, shiny black Armani boots, a pair of dark gray leather gloves, a white cashmere scarf and a white cashmere hat.

Drake however, hadn't expected to be out in the cold for so long, his mind solely set on the eggnog JJ had promised him upon calling to ask for help for carrying JJ's soon-to-be-Christmas-tree back to his apartement. He had donned his favourite pair of blue jeans, a woolen sweater over his shirt and a rather thin leather jacket... in other words: Drake was freezing his shapely behind off.

To make matters worse, once they had the salesman's attention, JJ turned out to be rather picky concerning Christmas trees and so the two detectives had spent half an hour in the cold and JJ still hadn't chosen a tree.

The sharpshooter was just inspecting the upteenth potential Christmas tree, making his third round around it, when Drake's impatience finally got the better of him. Without words, his lips pressed into thin (blue-tinged) line, he shoved a bundle of crumpled dollars into the Christmas tree seller's hands, and after that grabbed the tree's top with one hand and JJ's left arm with the other to haul them both off the stand and down the street.

"Drake! Wait, I..." JJ started, struggling against the iron grip his partner had on him.

"JJ. I'm hungry, thirsty, out of cigarettes and freezing my fucking balls off! This tree is exactly what you told me you were looking for before we came here! Down to the turned-up limbs and the _green of Laytner's fucking eyes_, so, I'm not going to wait till it grows a Versace-label for you to finally consider it good enough! Now, stop fighting me and let's go home!" Drake barked out, stomping down the street as best as he could while dragging along a tree and a struggling human energy bundle.

"But Drakey-pooh!" JJ whined, but gave up the fight, when Drake stopped dead in his tracks and threw him a murderous look over his shoulder. "Okay, okay, at least let me help carry the tree, so it won't get completely ruined on the way back to my place!"

And with that the two detectives and the Christmas tree went their merry way.

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"How about that?" Drake asked from somewhere under the tree.

"Pull it to the right a bit." JJ answered from his position in the middle of his living room, supervising the installation of his tree.

Drake pulled.

"Stop! Hold it! That's it! Now it's straight!" JJ's suddenly exclaimed, rushed to the tree and crawled under it to help tightening the screws on the age old tree stand.

"About the only thing straight in here, huh?" Drake muttered under his breath, but JJ heard it nonetheless.

"You sure, Drakey-pooh?" JJ teased, peering around the tree's slender trunk to wink at his partner.

"Oh please!" Drake just rolled his eyes and continued tigthening the screws on his side of the tree.

Once they were finished, they crawled back from under the tree, and JJ jumped to his feet in an instant to run around it excitedly.

"Perfect! It's perfect! Oh, thank you, Drakey-pooh!" He cried, bouncing up and down, tugging on Drake's arm.

"Yeah, yeah, you're welcome, Jeez! At least rip off my non-weapon hand, will ya!" Drake replied, rolling his eyes again yet smiling indulgently down at his partner. "So, what about the eggnog? Do I get a drink now after all my hard labour?"

"OH! Of course! Sorry, Drakey-pooh!" JJ clapped his hands together and dashed out of the room and into the open kitchen.

"And stop calling me that!" Drake yelled after him, plopping down on the stylish dark brown corduroy couch.

"Will do, Drakey-pooh! ... Hah, that rhymes!" JJ yelled back from the kitchen, followed by childlike giggles.

Drake couldn't help but giggle himself at his partner's goofiness. It was always good to see JJ in this happy and bouncy mood even if it could drive him nuts at times (especially when it caused his partner to decorate their office in all sorts of blinking -- _'Christmasy'_, as JJ would call it -- lights and to hum christmas songs all day long).

By the time JJ dragged the box with his christmas tree decoration out of his bedroom, Drake had downed four or five cups of eggnog and felt all happy and bouncy himself due to the booze JJ had added to the eggnog as promised. Hanging out with JJ outside from work was always fun, Drake thought. They bantered and talked, teased and joked around and Drake could just be Drakey-pooh and that was it.

No pressures, no expectations like when he was with his girlfriend Marisol. He was always on edge when he spent time with her, never really knew what she wanted him to say or do. But with the guys from work, most of all with JJ, he could just be himself and relax - plus they understood when he didn't feel like talking or like going out, when he just felt tired, over-worked and didn't want to do anything but have a Budweiser, watch some football and go to bed early. No wonder Dee and Ryo spent most of their free time together instead of finding themselves some nice girlfriends despite surely being the two best-looking guys of the 27th precinct, he mused.

"Earth to Drake!" JJ's voice pulled Drake from his thoughts.

"Oh, sorry, zoned out there for a minute." Drake explained, leaning forward to put his empty cup on the coffee table in front of him.

"So I noticed. What's up?" JJ asked, switching on the light chain he had just finished putting into the tree.

"Nothing really, just feeling a bit... "

"Boozed, eh?" JJ finished for him, smirking.

"Yeah. Just how much alcohol did you add to the eggnog?" Drake raised one eyebrow at him, challengingly, but got up to get himself and JJ another round of eggnog nonetheless.

JJ was kneeling next to the decoration's box when Drake returned and handed him his refilled Winnie-the-pooh-cup, simultanously sipping on his own Eyeore-cup.

"So, do you prefer red balls or blue ones?" JJ asked, rummaging through the box.

Drake almost choked on his eggnog.

"W-what?" He squeaked, coughing.

JJ looked up from his position on the floor, staring at Drake as if to ask _'What the heck is wrong with you today?'_ and held up a red christmas tree ball and a blue one, both in one hand, for Drake to see.

"Oh!" Was all Drake could say, smiling sheepishly. "Uhm, I don't really know. I like the red ones, I guess. They look... mhm, I don't know, they look..."

"Cozier." Both men said at the same time and had to laugh at that.

While JJ busied himself putting the red balls of various sizes into his tree, Drake sat down on the coffee table, peered into the box and occasionally lifted an item out of it to get a closer look at it.

JJ was standing on one of his chairs from the dining area and in the process of tying a red bow around the very top of the tree, when he heard Drake first giggling then laughing out loud. He turned his head to see what his partner found so amusing, and almost toppled off the chair when he saw what exactly Drake held in his hands: his Christmas tree photo album!

"Drake, don't!" JJ cried out, jumped down from the chair and almost would have landed on Drake, if Drake hadn't moved to the side, open photo album in his hands and still laughing.

"Gosh, JJ, only you... ", Drake gasped out in between guffaws, "...o-only you would have such a thing! A... a ph-photo album of all your christmas trees, complete with a... a name for each tree and their individual _date of installation_ a-and _date of dismantling_! In-incredible!"

The more pages Drake turned, the harder he had to laugh. Meanwhile JJ turned a crimson red and in vain tried to take the photo album out of Drake's hand. Only, Drake was quite a bit taller than JJ and just needed to lift his arms to get the album out of JJ's reach.

"Drake! Give that back!" JJ cried, pulling on Drake's arms.

"What ever happened to poor _Matthew_?" Drake laughed, ignoring him, and turned the photo album for JJ to see the pic of a slightly dishevelled tree.

"Damn you, Drake. Give me my album!" JJ whined, pouting.

"First you gotta tell me what happened to _Matthew_." Drake teased, stepping back from JJ, who still clung to his arms.

Now, JJ had already opened his mouth to answer his partner's question, but in that exact second Drake's left foot caught on the corner of the coffee table, causing the slightly tipsy detective to lose his balance and crash backwards down onto the floor right between the couch and the coffee table, tearing JJ down with him in the process, the younger cop landing on top of Drake with a loud _'oof'_.

There was a moment of silence, when bright blue eyes looked with warm brown ones, noses inches apart, one warm body pressing almost intimately into the other.

"Uhm." Drake commented oh so eloquently after two seconds, a smile already tugging on the corners of his lips, breaking the awkward mood.

"Yeah." JJ replied in a low voice and quickly snatched the photo album from his partner's now loose grasp but otherwise didn't make a move to get up.

Drake was the first one to lose his composure, bursting out into giggles that quickly turned into hearty laughter. At the same time JJ's face broke out into a huge childlike grin and he started to bang his head on Drake's shoulder, his breath tickling the side of Drake's neck, when he started to laugh out loud, too.

The suddenly fluttering sensation racing through his stomach took Drake completely by surprise. He hadn't felt anything like that for ages, not since his teenager years, and he sure as hell didn't know if he liked to have that feeling now or if he didn't. Something deep inside of his subconscious mind told him, that he shouldn't have that feeling with JJ laying on top of him. With Marisol, yes. With any other girl, sure. But not with another man, not with JJ.

Okay, so maybe he had one cup of boozed-up eggnog too many? Maybe he was just drunk? Yeah, that had to be it.

Before Drake could make any more sense of his confusing feelings, his partner distracted him by getting comfortable on his chest with a contented sigh (or was that actually a purr?) escaping his lips.

"I almost burned down Matthew, using real candles on him." JJ answered the question from earlier, looking at the picture, completely unaware of his partner's troubles.

"Uhm, hey bud, as cosy as you are as blanket, you are rather heavy for such a small person. Would you mind...?" Drake asked gently, already attempting to get into a sitting position, gesturing for JJ to get up.

"Oh, yeah, sure. Sorry. Damn, you'd make quite a good pillow, you know?" JJ answered, pulling away, closing the photo album in the same movement and smiling brightly up at Drake, who was now standing next to him and offering him a hand up.

"Aw, not you, too! I know I probably should lose some weight." Drake pouted, grateful that the awkward moment had passed by without JJ noticing anything off, and patted his own belly affectionately after he had pulled his partner up from the floor.

"What the hell are you talking about? You look great." JJ answered, absentmindedly, stuffing the photo album back into the with the exception of the blue balls now empty decoration box and throwing a last, examining look at his Christmas tree.

"Uhm, thanks, I think." Drake replied, hastily downing the rest of his eggnog. "Look, I had better get going, it's late and we are on early shift tomorrow..."

"Oh, you are welcome to stay the night, if you want?" JJ asked, still completely oblivious to Drake's confused state.

It wouldn't have been unusual for Drake to crash at JJ's place. The younger cop's apartement was closer to the station than his after all and the big couch was very comfortable, so Drake often stayed the night there. Drake declined nonetheless.

"Nuh, thanks, bud. All those blinking lights would keep me up all night and I know you hate to switch them off during the night. Plus I promised to call Marisol when I'm back home."

"Ah, okay, I see. She controlling you or what?" JJ winked and smiled, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. Even Drake could see that there wasn't any love lost between his partner and his girlfriend. He sighed.

"Well, yeah, maybe." Drake shrugged, smiling a bit too, and put on his leather jacket, that he had thrown over the back of the couch when he had entered JJ's apartement earlier.

"I guess, I don't need to comment on that, huh?" JJ asked, raising a challenging eyebrow at Drake.

"Nope. Come on, Mr. Christmasy, be a good boy and show your guest of honor to the door, will ya?" Drake said, guiding JJ to the front door by the shoulders.

JJ just laughed at his partner's antics.

"Well, I guess, I'll see you tomorrow", the tall detective said, still feeling a tadbit awkward.

"Yup, I'll be bringing unboozed eggnog, too!" JJ beamed, playing with the locking chain on the front door's frame.

"Great. Just don't let Ted anywhere near it. He always drinks half the bowl, then complains about feeling sick."

"Yeah, I know. I planned on it though and made enough for Ted AND the rest of the bunch."

"You and your Christmas habits, Adams!" Drake shook his head, smiling down at JJ.

"Aw, but you know you love me anyway, _Parker_!" JJ teased, wiggling his eyebrows. Drake swallowed.

"Yeah, yeah. Sure. See ya tomorrow, you loony." Drake ruffled through his partner's weird-coloured hair, just to do anything with his trembling hands.

"Sure thing, Drakey-pooh! OH! Wait!" JJ left the front door for a moment and Drake wasn't sure if he feared or hoped his partner was getting the mistletoe to trick him into a kiss (like he tried every single year with Dee), but then his partner returned with the white cashmere scarf in hands and Drake felt completely stupid for suddenly feeling so weird around his partner. He gave himself a little shake – definitely too much eggnog!

"Here. At least put the scarf on, it's goddamned cold outside. I'd give you some gloves, too, but your hands are way bigger than mine." JJ explained and didn't wait for Drake's reply, simply wrapped the scarf around his partner's neck and even tucked it into Drake's jacket, pulling the jacket's collar up afterwards.

"There." He commented, patting Drake's chest in a friendly gesture, when he was done.

"Thanks, JJ. What would I do without you?" Drake replied and was surprised at how much he actually meant that.

"Oh, most likely freeze to death or starve. Probably both simultanously, hehe." JJ answered, grinning his charming boyish grin.

Drake couldn't help but smile back. He shook his head in feigned exasperation, patted JJ's head once more, then he left.

JJ waited until Drake disappeared down the stairs and out of his sight, then went back into the living room. As was his habit he walked over to the big window to wait for Drake to show up on the other side of the street. And as always, once on the opposite side of the apartement building, Drake stopped, turned around and saluted up at JJ's window. JJ waved back, laughing when Drake bowed and went on his slightly tottering way.

Later that night Drake fell asleep, a white cashmere scarf clutched in one hand, his nose buried in the soft material. He hadn't slept that well in months...


End file.
